Skincare Specialists vs Hairdressers & Cosmetologists
Median pay is about $10k higher for Skincare Specialists. Both usually start with the same education: postsecondary plus license.
marks the higher pay or growth. Education, difficulty and the AI rows depend on what you want, so they are not marked.
| Measure | Skincare Specialists | Hairdressers & Cosmetologists |
|---|---|---|
| Pay | ||
| Median pay | $45,330, higher | $35,790 |
| Entry pay 25th percentile | $36,040, higher | $30,120 |
| Experienced pay 75th percentile | $59,700, higher | $48,830 |
| Outlook, 2025 to 2035 | ||
| Projected growth | +8.8% Growing fast, higher | +7.7% Growing fast |
| Openings a year | 14,200 | 73,400 |
| Getting in | ||
| Typical education | Postsecondary plus license | Postsecondary plus license |
| Difficulty modeled | 2.2 / 5 | 2.4 / 5 |
| AI | ||
| Displacement risk modeled | Low | Very low |
| AI exposure modeled, percentile | 39th pct | 17th pct |
Skills
Both lean on the same top skills: speaking, active listening, monitoring, reading comprehension, critical thinking, active learning.
More comparisons
Compare Skincare Specialists with
Compare Hairdressers & Cosmetologists with
Pay and outlook: BLS (OEWS 2025, Employment Projections 2025-2035). Skills: O*NET 30.3. Difficulty, displacement risk and AI exposure are modeled estimates. How these numbers are made.